How'd you like a serving of Irving?
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October 23, 2013 One
question Jackass fans had when Bad Grandpa was announced was whether a
skit character in a non-scripted environment could actually work in a
feature-length, (largely) scripted feature film. The answer, we can now
happily say, is yes, Bad Grandpa does work.
Part Jackass gross-out skit, part buddy comedy, and part road trip movie, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa is a spinoff that offers plenty of laughs for existing fans of Jackass as well as series newcomers looking for a comedy that embraces the inappropriate.
Bad Grandpa follows Johnny Knoxville's dirty old man character Irving Zisman, 86, in the weeks following the death of his wife (played in a cameo by a heavily made-up Catherine Keener; expect more of her scenes in a Bad Grandpa .5 home video edition). Now free from decades of marriage, Irv desperately wants to sow his wild oats.
But Irv's quest to get laid is hampered by the arrival of his 8-year-old grandson Billy (Jackson Niccol), whose mom is going to prison for drugs. Irv is tasked with
having to drive Billy across country to
drop him off to his deadbeat, estranged dad in North Carolina. Irv and
Billy's road trip takes them to many seedy places and provides plenty of
uproarious experiences while they forge a closer bond.
Bad Grandpa is certainly one of the funniest and most outrageous
comedies of the year. Whether it's Irv going to a strip club and almost
getting punched out by a male stripper, passing his grandson off as a
girl so they can crash a kiddie beauty contest, or trying to transport
and dispose of his late wife's body, Bad Grandpa offers plenty of
situations where the hidden cameras capture the varied and hilarious
responses of onlookers.
There are times when it seems several of these surprised viewers must
be plants, and you do find yourself questioning the legitimacy of some
of these "candid" moments. Still, it's funny as hell. The range of
reactions (when you're not wondering who's a plant and what bit was
probably scripted) range from the amused to the utterly horrified. It's
amazing how much craziness people will put up with until they've finally
had enough.
The movie's biggest surprise is how sweet it can be at times. You come to legitimately care about Irv and Billy and are invested in how their journey together turns out and if they can work out their relationship. There's a set-piece in a biker bar near the end that's surprisingly touching (albeit in-between set-ups and pay-offs to different gags).
Knoxville and Niccol have great chemistry together; the movie simply
wouldn't work if they didn't. Niccol is a real find. He seems like a
real kid rather than a "movie kid." With his hangdog countenance and
deadpan manner, Niccol comes across like a little Walter Matthau.
While not every comedic bit here works, there are still enough that do to make Bad Grandpa a raucously fun movie-going experience and a real treat for Jackass fans.
Part Jackass gross-out skit, part buddy comedy, and part road trip movie, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa is a spinoff that offers plenty of laughs for existing fans of Jackass as well as series newcomers looking for a comedy that embraces the inappropriate.
Bad Grandpa follows Johnny Knoxville's dirty old man character Irving Zisman, 86, in the weeks following the death of his wife (played in a cameo by a heavily made-up Catherine Keener; expect more of her scenes in a Bad Grandpa .5 home video edition). Now free from decades of marriage, Irv desperately wants to sow his wild oats.
But Irv's quest to get laid is hampered by the arrival of his 8-year-old grandson Billy (Jackson Niccol), whose mom is going to prison for drugs. Irv is tasked with
The movie's biggest surprise is how sweet it can be at times. You come to legitimately care about Irv and Billy and are invested in how their journey together turns out and if they can work out their relationship. There's a set-piece in a biker bar near the end that's surprisingly touching (albeit in-between set-ups and pay-offs to different gags).
While not every comedic bit here works, there are still enough that do to make Bad Grandpa a raucously fun movie-going experience and a real treat for Jackass fans.
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